You have heard me talk about Lions 4 Kids House (L4K) before. My affiliation with them has ranged from donating school supplies and backpacks to donating toiletries, underwear and socks. I have not shied from sharing the word about their good works in our community. I have helped polish shoes. My daughter gathered prom dresses from all her friends and family for the Prom Project. Our family thinks L4K is awesome; they provide clothing, shoes, toiletries and school supplies to youth in our area on a referral basis year round through donations. They fill a gap and provide smiles. L4K is housed in a city-owned property that is cheery and set up as a boutique. Volunteers remodeled the house and landscaped the gardens. It is bright with hope and located at 18429 89th St. E., Bonney Lake. For questions and more information, call 253-447-3844.
But Lions is about more than L4K. It is a worldwide organization that answers the needs and challenges of communities around the world. Some of those tough problems are blindness, drug abuse prevention and diabetes awareness.
Councilman Tom Watson has assisted the greater Bonney Lake area for eight years with eyeglasses and sight related assistance through the Lions, until his budget was depleted. He has collected and recycled eyeglasses for worldwide distribution. Watson said it has been, “very rewarding to help a child see in class, a young adult now able to fill out a job application, a truck driver passes his driving test or a senior read the paper. We have received numerous letters telling how our club has changed their life with improved vision.” If you have vision needs, please call 253-951-6385
April Young is the current president of the Bonney Lake Lions and the hearing program coordinator. At last year’s event, there was a moving video that featured the story of a local resident who heard raindrops for the first time in many years after receiving a hearing aid.
Some of their past fundraising has been done by the Pacin Parson, Lion Don Stevenson. I saw him walking from Game Farm Park in Auburn the other morning on the way to visit my mom. He has been part of the LionHeart Walk for the Blind.
Stevenson is 78 years old and took twelve weeks to walk 1,508 miles from Rugby North Dakota to Seattle in 2012. He raised $8000 for the Eye Institute at the University of Washington. Sometimes fellow Lions joined him along the way. When they did, he blindfolded himself, gripped his white cane and let them guide him. However, his stride is fast and purposeful. Janet Emig, a fellow Bonney Lake Lion member, accompanied Stevenson for 12 days of his trek with her husband Bruce.
“When someone walks with him, they usually slow him down,” she said.
Over the past eight years I have thoroughly enjoyed their charity dinner auction, Death By Chocolate. This year’s event will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. March 22 at the Bonney Lake High School commons area. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Arrive early to visit and get a preview of the dessert auction items.
Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. and is always scrumptious. It is proudly prepared with the freshest ingredients by the award winning Bonney Lake High School culinary arts team. This is part of the vocational training; planning, preparing and serving the meal. They do not disappoint and the portions are more than ample with a beautiful presentation and served with a smile.
You will want to bring a lot of money, running shoes and your appetite for the dessert auction and raffle. This is where the name “Death by Chocolate” comes in. No two cakes are the same. There are seven-layer chocolate cakes, cakes with themes, and beautifully decorated with flowers. You name it, you will see it there. The idea is to get the highest bid on the cake to win the cake for your table to share for dessert during the entertainment. Decadent!
The Leos are the Lions youth group. They help facilitate the function, and sell chocolate roses as a fundraiser.
This year, instead of the usual live auction and entertainment, Murder at the Silver Spittoon Saloon will be performed by Last Leaf Productions. This is a murder mystery. These are lots of fun. You watch the play, eat your dinner and try to guess who done it.
In this production, Miss Cheri Lane is about to lose her saloon, that is if Snake-Eyes Pete has his way. Just about everyone in town has a reason to kill him, even the soot-covered stranger. When Snake-Eyes turns up dead on the street, it’s up to Marshall Virgil Earp, Wyatt’s older and overly sensitive brother, and our audience to solve the case.
Last Leaf Productions is a non-profit touring theater company that presents fun and educational programs for all ages. You may recognize the name; last summer Last Leaf performed on two occasions in Bonney Lake. One was Two Gentlemen of Verona in August and in July they performed The Barber’s Wife at Allan Yorke Park.
Why change the successful format of an auction? First, it is all-consuming for the project manager, who is required to be a Jack or Jill of all trades, and whose time commitment takes precious time from families, even with all the volunteers involved. The second reason is that many other non-profits are using auctions to raise funds. The third reason is that the organizers were intrigued by the idea of adding a murder mystery to the theme.
Lion David Colbeth said the goal of the format change is “to attract folks who are interested in supporting their community (who) would just like to come and have a great time with friends and support a great cause at the same time.”
And a great time it always is.
You can purchase tickets at the door for $40 or purchase online at www.bonneylakelions.com for $35. If you purchase online, your ticket will be waiting for you at the door. I hope to see you there!
